History Main / ColossusClimb

* ''SkySerpents'' by Creator/{{Nitrome}}.

* ''AttackOnTitan'' can be described as "ColossusClimb the Anime Series". The eponymous Titans range from being as large as houses to as tall as a skyscraper, and to reach their weakpoints, humans have to use waist-mounted grappling hooks.

* Some toothpaste commercial, as explanation for the fifth "dentist of five". As a slight aversion, the vulnerable area is ''the'' [[GroinAttack vulnerable area]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}''

** BonusBoss The Forgotten One in ''Lament of Innocence'' is a colossal demon, but instead of climbing you fight him from an elevator.

[[caption-width-right:350:See that tiny white thing in the lower-left corner? That's ''you''.]]

!!Examples

* A commercial for Capri Sun V has a young boy being attacked by a Cybear, a giant machine/bear hybrid. The kid manages to kill the 'marauding Ursa Machina' by leaping onto his back with a trampoline and ''stabbing him with the Capri Sun straw.''

* Played for laughs in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} 2'' when Puss-in-Boots attacks Shrek (including an ''Franchise/{{Alien}}''-style chest burst, no less).

** The Force Captain has a brilliant one in the sequel as well, against the Tyranid Carnifex. Launching himself at the thing's jaw, after avoiding acidic vomit, the Commander holds fast while being trashed around and unloading his bolter into the creature's head - when it finally flings him up in the air, he smashes it right in the skull with his melee weapon, dropping it like a stone. Win.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MonsterBusterClub'' episode "Comic Book Heroes", Cathy attempts this with a GiantRobot [[MonsterClown Clown]].

** ''{{VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' also features a variation where you get catapulted on top of the boss.

* ''FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'' has one of these in the Bahamut SIN fight. It gets harder than usual because the monster flies. At the end of the fight is is a scene where Cloud is [[FastballSpecial thrown further and further up in the air]] by a succession of allies until he can finally reach the monster.
* In the first volume of ''Manga/GetterRobo Go'', a {{Robeast}} is going on a rampage through a city. Not having -yet- a HumongousMecha to stop it, Go and Sho climbed up its body [[GrandTheftPrototype to reach the cockpit and disabling the pilot]], all the while as avoiding its CombatTentacles and giant pincers.
* In ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]]'' ''[[{{Macross 7}} 7]]'', a friendly {{fanservice}} example from TheMovie. One of the giant alien Meltrandi women shares a campfire with the hero and the kid sidekick. The kid has a quite innocent play session in her cleavage (she's at least 30 feet tall, and her breasts are easily the size of beanbag chairs, and the kid is about four years old).
* ''Anime/MazingerZ'' presents an interesting example because it is an instance of a villain making this to one of his own monsters. In episode 14, to destroy a [[{{Robeast}} Mechanical Beast]] that [[BigBad Dr. Hell]] had deemed useless, several [[{{Mook}} Iron Masks]] climbed up the several-meter-tall giant robot and planted a bomb in its body.

* The battle with Oars in ''Manga/OnePiece''. Particularly shown when Chopper manages to climb onto Oars's shoulder, tricking Oars into punching himself when he dodges and hides inside Oars's fist, and Zoro uses a special technique to slash his way up Oars's right arm.
** Kinda subverted by Franky, who just builds a staircase.
* Played twice in {{MAR}} with Jack as the climber in both cases.

* ''{{Naruto}}'' does this to [[spoiler: the Four Tails Bijuu]] in the Fourth Shinobi War, [[spoiler: in order to free him from Tobi's control]].

[[folder:Comics]]
* In ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'', the trope enabled the more melee-oriented Wolverine to pull his weight whenever the team had to fight the Sentinels.
** That is if someone who had superstrength wasn't around to serve him up a FastballSpecial.
*** Often times Wolverine is almost more than likely capable of climbing his way up to take them out head on.
*** But downplayed in ''{{Ultimate X-Men}}'' when Wolverine fights the advanced sentinels and comments that they are smaller and more concentrated, making it easier as he can now simply jump up and attack the head without any climbing at all.
* In Issue 20 of Archie Comics' ''Comicbook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesAdventures'', a [[GiantMook giant Foot Soldier]] is unleashed and begins destroying the city. After an initial futile assault is launched on its shins, they climb up in search of a vulnerable spot. Turns out that they [[spoiler:only wind up being a diversion so that a fireman-turned-dragon (thanks to an old curio shop owner's powder) can defeat it.]]

[[folder:Films]]

* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' movie ''The Return of the King'', where Legolas climbs the Oliphant and shoots it in the head with arrows after [[Awesome/{{Film}} singlehandedly wiping out the entire archer platform and sending it to earth]].
** Which, according to Gimli, still only counts as one.
* Scarab attacks from ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy''.
* This is Reepicheep's primary battle strategy in ''[[{{Narnia}} Prince Caspian]]''.
* The twins vs. [[CombiningMecha Devastator]] in ''[[TransformersFilmSeries Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' ends up like this.
* Played for laughs in ''{{Shrek}}'' when Puss in Boots attacks Shrek (including an ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' style chest burst, no less).

* The standard attack of the Nac Mac Feegle (six-inch-high {{Violent Glaswegian}}s) in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels is to clamber up their opponent and headbutt him with an effect like lead shot.

* The Mechas in OrsonScottCard's ''Literature/{{Empire}}'', apparently designed by a particularly GenreSavvy engineer, are nearly impossible to climb on. Our heroes have to get creative to take them out, by pushing on the legs to upset the balance, and then hitting it with two cars. [[spoiler: They find a much, much easier method once they link up with the National Guard in the form of AT-4.]]
** And back in ''EndersGame'', Ender attacks the virtual Giant in a video game by leaping onto him and [[EyeScream digging into his eye.]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Curiously, ''PowerRangers'' (a show where {{Henshin Hero}}es typically summon HumongousMecha in response to a MakeMyMonsterGrow situation) has done this quite a few times.

* ''TabletopGame/{{BattleTech}}'':
** This is standard operating procedure for Elementals, 8' tall PowerArmor wearing SuperSoldier troopers, [[DesignerBabies genetically designed]] by [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy the Clans]] to be anti-Mech infantry. As even the smallest 'Mech is still over 6 meters tall, Elemental teams, operating in groups of five, often enact a Colossus Climb to destroy enemy 'Mechs, mostly to AttackItsWeakPoint. Because of the construction of some types of 'Mechs, which often lack humanoid features like hands, this trope is considered a perfectly sensible tactic instead of a suicide run.

* Warhammer40K: At least one Titan has been defeated this way, by infantry swarming it to overload its onboard troops and weapons.

* TropeNamer: The game ''ShadowOfTheColossus'' is an [[BossGame entire game of these battles]], with some exploration and platforming in between.
* SkySerpents by {{Nitrome}}.
* Quite literally occurs in the fight with Colossus in ''MegaManLegends: [[{{Prequel}} The Misadventures Of Tron Bonne]]''.
* In ''[[SlyCooper Sly 3]]'', Carmelita Fox is [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever transformed into a giant berserker]] by a cursed mask, and Sly must climb her clothing in an attempt to free her.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts'':

* ''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia'':

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'':

* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', El Gigante must be killed by shooting at him for a while, then climbing onto his back and slashing at the parasite controlling the beast as it emerges. Of course, the player can also just shoot the parasite as well, but that doesn't look nearly as cool.

* Another computer game that features this is ''{{Rayman}} 3: Hoodlum Havoc'', where Rayman needs to run up the villain's arm to reach the magic thing in its back, in the second stage of the final boss battle.
* Several bosses in ''SteambotChronicles'' can be climbed (a few ''need'' to.)

* Possible subversion in the console version of ''AlienHominid''. When you fight the pudding boss, a downed lamppost leads straight from the ground to the monster's head. If you ever try to climb up the post, it immediately kills you.
* ''DevilMayCry 4'' has a big one of these when Dante takes on the Savior in order to rescue Nero. This is combined with WombLevel as Nero takes it on from within.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** The boss of the Wind Temple of ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap''. They are two creatures that can fly, but Link does not fly. Consequently you spend the whole time standing on one or the other.
** Also in ''Minish Cap'', multiple enemies require you to become tiny and go inside them to defeat them, including at least one form of the BigBad.

** ''PhantomHourglass'' also features a variation where you get catapulted on top of the boss.
** In ''SkywardSword'' there's the third fight against The Imprisoned, where you need to whack his seal back into his forehead by launching onto him with the Groosenator. A more-classic Colossus Climb is one of two viable strategies for the other two fights, as well.

* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'':

* The Sin battle in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', the entire final level is taken up by a climb up Vegnagun to get to his head.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'''s final boss makes up about 80% of the level, but only a few spots are vulnerable: the hand (opens a shortcut), a moving spark (protects the core) and the head/core.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'': While not player-controlled, Squall's LimitBreak employs this against several late-game bosses.

* ''[[Franchise/{{X-MEN}} X-Men 2 in Clone Wars]]'' for the SegaGenesis does this quite impressively on its second, third, AND fourth levels. Video games typically struggle with portraying one of the X-Men's major antagonists, the colossal robots known as Sentinels; often they are shrunken down to only slightly larger than human so they make a more manageable obstacle for the player. ''Clone Wars'' gets around this by having the X-Men attack a Sentinel maintenance facility while the Sentinels are off-line. You spend two levels fighting your way up scaffolding to reach one of the Sentinel's heads, and one level going ''inside'' a Sentinel and fighting a BossBattle against its reactor core, then running partway back down the scaffolding before the facility explodes from the power overload. Parts of two Sentinels' bodies are visible in the background throughout the levels, and they are true to their gigantic depictions in the comic books and television shows.

* The Super NES adaption of ''StarWars Episode V'' (''[[SuperStarWars Super Empire Strikes Back]]'') had Luke -- after escaping his snowspeeder before it was destroyed -- climb up an AT-AT's leg, work his way up from the inside, and walk across its backside before fighting the head, all in ''three separate levels''! This contrasts from the movie, where Luke instead tethered to its underside, cut an opening with his lightsaber, and threw a bomb inside to destroy it.
* ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}'':

* ''[[DawnOfWar Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War]]'':

* In ''LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'', Gades' [[OneWingedAngel true form]] involves one of these. Sadly, there wasn't much to it, and the real challenge came from the rematch with his previous form.

--> [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Severin:]] Do you see a way to the upper level?\\
[[DeadpanSnarker Rayne:]] [[CrowningMomentOfFunny I have bowel in my hair...]]
* In a unique non-boss example, ''[[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo-Kazooie]]'' requires the player to climb atop the eponymous giant mechanical shark of [[DownTheDrain Clanker's Cavern]].

* Disney's classic short of ''The Brave Little Tailor'' features Mickey defeating the giant in exactly this way.
** Not to mention ''Giantland'', ''Mickey and the Beanstalk'', and, in a way, ''RunawayBrain''. Somewhat reversed in ''Gulliver Mickey,'' as ''he's'' the giant. There have also been instances where Mickey has latched onto Pete's back or climbed up him, as in ''Two Gun Mickey'' or in the ''HouseofMouse'' episode "The Broken Thermostat."
* On ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', this is Rufus' preferred attack against human targets, he does it to Drakken at least once. The producers were careful not to over-use it.

* 70's cartoon detective ''WesternAnimation/InchHighPrivateEye'' invades clothing often enough; in his appearance on ''HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', he invades Gigi's bra.

* Once on ''{{Chowder}}'', Schnitzel and Chowder had to climb a giant to make a delivery. Not to the giant, to the guy living on top of the giant.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'': Ray Stanz ascends a possessed carnival ride in "Rollerghoster", looking for a way to communicate with it in a manner very reminiscent of ''ShadowOfTheColossus''. [[spoiler: It doesn't work.]]
* [[spoiler: The Autobots as humans]] use this in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' against the far larger Decepticons.

* Naturally, BugsBunny finds himself in this situation - twice in fact, once with DaffyDuck, running into giant Elmer Fudd's ears and ending up behind huge, window-like eyes...then running back down under his clothing, reducing him to ticklish giggles.
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', over-eager mountaineers try to climb a park ranger - even though all persons involved are normal-sized.
* A human face becomes the location of the FinalBattle between anthropomorphic white blood cell OsmosisJones, voiced by Creator/ChrisRock, and evil virus, Thrax, voiced by LaurenceFishburne. Along with Thrax, Ozzy is ejected out of his host and lands on the upper face of Shane (the daughter of Osmosis's home, Frank, and whom Thrax intends to infect and kill after disposing of Frank). During the battle, they plunge into the murky watery depths on the tip of her sclera, avoid being crushed by her oncoming blinking eyelid, and commence [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME76Sg7J6fk battling on one of her eyelashes]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Fructose Riboflavin overcomes his [[MechaMooks robot guard]] in [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20090829.html this]] installment of ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob''.
* In ''Webcomic/TalesOfTheQuestor'', Quentyn climbs a dragon and lassos its mouth after his plan A proves completely ineffective.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Skullkickers}}'', [[NoNameGiven Shorty]] defeats the giant worm-thing by climbing it with his axes, chopping his way ''into'' its head and rooting around in there until it dies.
* This is how Black and N fight Landorus in ''BlackAdventures'' during [[http://blackadventurescomic.com/2011/07/13/episode-17-part-01/ chapter 17]], complete with ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' costumes.
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX 4'' has the General, [[strike:one of]] ''the'' largest Boss in the series (not counting some of [[BigBad Sigma's]] OneWingedAngel forms). He can detach his hands to reveal cannons in his limbs, and the hands can act as platforms so the player can reach his weakpoint, the head.

* ''LegendOfZelda'':

* ''Franchise/LegendOfZelda'':

* In ''{{Macross 7}}'', a friendly {{fanservice}} example from TheMovie. One of the giant alien Meltrandi women shares a campfire with the hero and the kid sidekick. The kid has a quite innocent play session in her cleavage (she's at least 30 feet tall, and her breasts are easily the size of beanbag chairs, and the kid is about four years old).

* Believe it or not, ''PowerRangers'' (a show where {{Henshin Hero}}es typically summon HumongousMecha in response to a MakeMyMonsterGrow situation) has done this quite a few times, although it is sometimes regarded as a live-action anime.

** The Prince's signature move throughout the ''Sands of Time'' series is to use his great agility to run up an enemy's torso and vault over them, thus getting into position to wail on them from behind.

** One of the uberunits for Chaos (indeed, the ''only'' one before expansions added the Daemon Prince) is the Bloodthirster, a forty-foot tall winged demon with a giant battleaxe. He kills infantry by picking them up and chowing down on them. However, the Space Marines' primary commander unit, the Force Captain, carries anti-daemon weaponry, and will always beat the Bloodthirster one-on-one. Upon said victory, the Force Captain will crack the demon on the knee with his hammer, climb up onto its back, and ''wail on its head until it falls.''

** But in ''III'', the battle with [[spoiler:Cronos]] takes the cake. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkRYaxqgOTs The guy]] is easily the biggest boss in the series.